Three years after Storm Juliette severely affected Mallorca in late February 2023, the regional government has taken stock of a sustained forest management effort that has resulted in the restoration and treatment of over 420 hectares of woodland. These actions, carried out over three years, involved a total investment of €3.4 million and were primarily aimed at increasing forest resilience to wildfires and pests.
The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment, Joan Simonet, emphasised that the institutional response extended well beyond the immediate emergency phase, focusing instead on medium-term planning guided by technical and strategic criteria. Active forest management, he noted, remains the most effective approach to risk reduction and long-term ecosystem protection.
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Three years after Storm Juliette, Mallorca strengthens its forests with more than 400 hectares restored
Interventions were concentrated in strategically selected areas of the Serra de Tramuntana and other severely affected zones, prioritising locations where terrain conditions and accessibility allowed for efficient use of available resources. All actions were aligned with fuel break networks and defensive forest structures, in accordance with the Fourth General Plan for the Prevention of Forest Fires in the Balearic Islands.
A total of 176 hectares were managed directly through public resources, using forest brigades from the Balearic Institute of Nature. The work included the removal of irreversibly damaged trees, selective pruning, on-site shredding of vegetation debris, and the management of fallen timber and firewood, employing machinery suited to both accessible areas and technically challenging terrain.
These measures were complemented by additional works to improve forest infrastructure, such as the installation of protective systems to prevent landslides on public paths, the repair of approximately 2,600 metres of damaged fencing, high-level pruning near roads and tracks, and the deployment of monitoring traps to control forest pest populations.
In parallel, a further 244 hectares were addressed through grant schemes aimed at private landowners, designed to extend restoration efforts and encourage preventive forest management. These subsidies supported the repair of storm-related damage and promoted investments to reduce future risks, strengthening public-private cooperation and amplifying the overall impact of public funding.
Through this comprehensive strategy, the regional government reaffirms its commitment to a forest policy grounded in prevention, long-term planning, and shared responsibility, ensuring the protection and sustainability of Mallorca’s forests for future generations.